Arranged by the Parents
by Muffin the Imaginary Penguin
Summary: The Braginski and Bonnefoy families are the two most influential families in the world. What happens when the two heirs are forced together into an unhappy union. Human Names, Modern noble family AU, OOC, RusCan, FrUK, USxJapan
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Sofiya and Alexander Braginski nervously walked outside to where their son, Ivan was sketching the sunflowers that grew in the garden. Despite being the heads of the most influential family in Russia, their teenage son still sent shivers down their spine. He had always been withdrawn, quiet, and completely intimidating.

"Ivan, we have great news." Sofiya told him, standing next to her husband. Ivan looked up from his sketchpad and up at her, making her step back, slightly behind Alexander. Something about the way he looked at them always made them feel uneasy, like he was calculating your every move and expression.

"What is it, mother?" His voice was always monotonous, not betraying any emotion at all. He preferred his sketches and dogs to people; it was obvious with how he reacted with everybody, especially his family.

"We have found you a wife. Her name is Natalia Alfroskaya, from the royal Belarusian family. You have met her before, at the balls held by her family." Alexander said to him, awaiting his reaction. There was no guessing how Ivan would react, with his history of being unpredictable when informed of things that concern him.

"She has expressed her interest in marrying you to her parents many times, Ivan. There are numerous benefits to both of our families." His mother tried to persuade him, knowing that Ivan wouldn't go through with the marriage. Disbelief and anger were prominent in Ivan's eyes, though his face didn't betray anything.

Ivan stood and dusted off his light brown overcoat and straightened his off-white scarf around his neck before looking at his parents. "I do not wish to marry Natalia. She is much too forward and…impolite with her affections." He walked past his parents and into their mansion, ignoring the servants that quickly moved out of his way.

"Ivan, it's your duty to the family. There is no changing the decision, you will marry Natalia and continue the Braginski line." His father tried a different tactic, knowing that his son was nothing if not loyal to the family. "Our families will become one through this marriage."

"I refuse, father. Our families will not 'become one' and my opinion on the subject will not change." Ivan looked his father in the eye and felt triumph at the flash of fear and nervousness in his eyes.

"It is not normal for a man your age to not be betrothed at the very least. There must be something your mother and I can do so you will agree to this." His father pleaded. There had to be a continuation of the family line, no matter what. Ivan had to realize that he couldn't avoid getting married for forever.

"Anybody but Natalia. If it were somebody not so…like her, I could tolerate it. Choose another family. This time, think it through more, and choose one with more territory or at least stronger influence." Ivan turned away from his father once more as he sat at his desk, getting ready for his tutor. "No matter whom you choose I will despise them, so try to be smart about it." The statement was a clear dismissal to his father as he wrote in the journal his tutor recommended he kept.

Alexander silently nodded and left his son's rooms, cursing at how easy it was for Ivan to control him. He went to his study and started the dreaded task of writing the letter of rejection to the Alfroskaya family.

* * *

The Bonnefoy family was the most influential in North America. Their territory covered Most of Canada and all of America, as well as parts of England and France where the heads of the family were born and raised. The heads of the family, Arthur and Francis Bonnefoy, knew once they were engaged that the only way to continue the line was to use a surrogate mother. The woman they hired had twin boys, Alfred and Matthew. Alfred was older by six minutes, and never passed up a chance to use that against his younger brother.

Being the oldest son, Alfred was engaged first to the heir to the Japanese royal family, Kiku. They became surprisingly close, despite being nearly completely opposite. Kiku was shy and hid most of his emotions, while Alfred was loud and wore his heart on his sleeve. Alfred was naturally the center of attention at all of the parties they went to with other nobles.

"Dear, don't you think it's time to find a family that we can marry Matthew into? None of the single heirs have shown any interest, and I've abandoned the hope that they will." Arthur told his husband, Francis, while they watched their youngest son out the window of the sitting room.

"If we have to. I just wish he could've attracted somebody's attention, like Alfred did. He's so polite and kind, but so shy and quiet." Francis replied. Matthew was sitting outside by himself, while Alfred sat with Kiku, Ludwig, and Feliciano. Matthew occasionally looked over at the table his brother was sitting at with his friends, hoping to be asked to join or at least acknowledged in some way.

"Are there even any heirs left that are of age? I haven't heard of any in a while." Arthur asked, trying to remember of any families. Anybody was better than his son being alone for the rest of his life.

"The only one I can think of is the Braginski son. They control much of Russia. The only problem is he has refused a royal family, so it will be hard to please him." Arthur paled noticeably.

"Not him, Francis. He would be terrible to Matthew; he wouldn't stand a chance being married to him."

Francis stood and wrapped his arm around the nervous Englishman, trying to calm him down. "We don't have a choice. It's either Ivan Braginski, or Matthew is alone."

* * *

Hey, this is my first Hetalia fic, but I love RusCan with all my heart. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Song of the Chapter: Promises feat. Skrillex by Nero

If you like Black Butler, you should check out my other multi-chap, Welcome to Stockholm (Ciel x Sebastian)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Francis and Arthur agreed that they would put off telling Matthew about their decision. The young man still had the slight hope that somebody would ask his parents, instead of his parents having to do the asking. Francis chose to wait until he received the acceptance letter from the Braginski family before telling Matthew the news. There was no sense in getting him worked up for something that wasn't actually going to happen.

The day the letter arrived was similar to the day that the first letter was sent. Matthew was sitting on a bench outside again, with his Siberian husky, Kumajirou, curled up next to him, but his brother and his friends were inside, probably playing pool or some other game. Another difference was the amount of stress that Arthur and Francis were feeling. The Braginski family accepted the proposal, making the idea of Matthew marrying Ivan that much more real.

"Matthew, could you come inside for a moment?" Matthew heard his papa call for him. He stood up and dusted the dirt off the bottom of his coat and walked inside, Kumajirou following close behind him.

"Yes, papa?" He asked, taking his coat off and looking down at the floor. He had started the habit of calling him "papa" when he was a small kid and learned the word in his lessons. Matthew still called Arthur "father" though.

"Your father and I found a husband for you." Francis told him, gesturing to the sofa across from him in the room.

Matthew's eyes snapped from the floor to him, surprised and a bit disappointed. Francis noticed that once he sat down his posture was less straight and happy. He had known for a while that his parents would be asking another family, but he hadn't wanted to hear it. Matthew still hoped that he could have attracted somebody's attention, and their parents would ask his papa. Alfred usually stole all of the attention most of the time at the parties, leaving Matthew to stand in the corner and work up the courage to ask somebody for their company.

"Who?" Matthew hoped it would at least be somebody nice, that he could happily live with.

"The Braginski family." Francis watched his son's neutral expression fall as the words sunk in.

"Oh. Well, thank you for informing me." He whispered as he stood and walked upstairs to his rooms. Matthew locked the door behind him and sat down at his desk, laying his head down on his arms.

"I don't want to marry the scary man, Kuma." Matthew said to both himself and his dog. Kumajirou whined and nudged his hand, knowing he was upset. He stood up and sat back down in his favourite chair, letting his dog jump up partly on his lap. "I have to, though. I didn't get any attention, so papa and father had to do the asking." His dog whined again and licked his owner's nose, making him smile a little.

"Maybe he won't be so bad."

* * *

"I didn't know the Bonnefoy family had two sons until we got that letter. I only heard about Alfred." Sofiya told her husband.

"Neither did I. Apparently, Matthew and Alfred are identical twins. I hope that Matthew isn't like Alfred. He is much too loud and boisterous." Alexander sat down and sighed. "Not much to do now except have them meet and tell Ivan about his new fiancé. I don't want to tell him, after how he reacted to Natalia."

"I don't want to tell him either. The letter said that Ivan is welcome to their home in Ontario whenever he wants to meet Matthew. We could just send him without telling him. Francis and Arthur would have to do it." Sofiya told him her idea.

"That's a good idea. I don't like making them tell him, but it's too easy for him to sway us."

They agreed to fly Ivan to Ontario with a sealed letter written by Alexander, telling Francis what the situation was. As they were leaving the airport, they hoped that Ivan didn't do anything to make them change their minds.

* * *

In Ontario…

* * *

"I don't understand why I had to give them the letter in person. Couldn't they just mail it or something?" Ivan mumbled to himself, walking up the path to the front door of the Bonnefoy estate. As per his father's orders, he took the family jet to Ontario with the unopened letter, not knowing what was going to happen. He stood outside the estate doors, glaring daggers at the polar bear door knockers.

After a few minutes of standing there, he knocked on the door and took a step back. A petite male in a servant's uniform answered the door. "I'm sorry for making you wait, sir, but the masters weren't expecting any visitors." He opened the door more to let Ivan walk inside and took his coat.

"My father told me I was expected here, with this letter." Ivan gave him the envelope addressed to Francis and Arthur Bonnefoy.

"I will take the letter to Master Francis if you would like to wait in the sitting room, sir." The servant led Ivan to the correct room and the Russian sat down in one of the chairs. The servant quickly walked to his master's study and knocked. Francis opened the door and the servant handed him the letter. "I'm sorry for the interruption, Master Francis, but there is a letter for you and a young man waiting in the sitting room."

"Thank you for telling me, I'll take care of it, if you would please return to your duties." Francis made it a point to be polite whenever possible to the help, even though Arthur frequently accused him of flirting with the maids, which he wasn't. He closed the door once the servant left, having a strong suspicion about who was downstairs waiting for him.

He broke the seal on the envelope and took out the letter.

_Francis and Arthur Bonnefoy,_

_As you know, we have accepted your proposal for your son, Marcus. The only problem is that we were not sure how to go about breaking the news to our son. You have my deepest apologies for forcing the responsibility on you, and I hope Ivan is a pleasant guest._

_Alexander Braginski_

Francis sighed and sat down at his desk for a moment, running a hand through his hair. "His name is Matthew." He continued to sit there, trying to think of a way to introduce the two young men.

Downstairs, Matthew had run inside. "Papa! The sunflowers are growing beautifully! Papa! Where are you?" He asked loudly as he reached the sitting room, seeing Ivan sitting there impatiently. "I'm sorry; I didn't know you would be visiting today. I wish I knew; I could have dressed better." Matthew said nervously, removing his jacket and fixing his hair with his hand. Ivan looked at him, confused.

"Why would it matter to me how you are dressed? It should only concern your parents and your fiancé." Ivan replied bluntly with a bit of malice.

"B-But, you are my fiancé."

* * *

Second chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it :) Just warning you now, updates are going to be a bit...random. I have no clue what my schedule looks like and sometimes more important things come up.

Song of the Chapter: Little Lion Man feat. Johnny Depp by Tanto's Giant Nuts


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"_B-But, you are my fiancé."_ Matthew stammered, blushing deep red and staring holes into the hard wood floor.

"No, you aren't. I don't even know you." Ivan told him, feeling a pang of disgust at the weak, shy male. He watched a new wave of sadness settle on his face.

"I'm M-Matthew B-Bonnefoy, Alfred's little b-brother." He stuttered again, much more quiet than before, almost as if he was whispering.

"I didn't know Alfred had a brother, I've never met you before. I am not engaged." The Russian stood up and went to leave.

"Please, don't leave. We are engaged, Papa can tell you." Matthew pleaded, following him into the foyer.

He turned around so fast that Matthew ran into his chest, causing a new slight wave of fear to run through the younger. Ivan glared down at him. "You are a hopeless, worthless, deluded boy. You are not my fiancé, I do not have one. I don't even know who you are." He spat at him, making him cower away from him.

That was the moment that Francis ran downstairs, hoping he got to Ivan before Matthew did. He got to the foyer in time to see his son looking ready to cry while shaking in fear before what he heard Ivan say registered in his mind.

"What are you doing to my son?" Francis asked, glaring daggers at the Russian guest.

"My deepest apologies, Mr. Bonnefoy, but your 'son' seems to have convinced himself that he is my fiancé." Ivan told him, looking disgusted at Matthew before turning away.

"That's because he is. Your parents agreed to the proposal and sent you here so I would have to tell you and not them." The man was finished with the way the Russian disrespected his son and himself, due to the simple idea of marrying Matthew.

"Not likely. They aren't so spineless to send me here to have somebody else tell me rather than do it themselves."

"Not impossible, because that's what happened. So why don't you sit down in that room over there and get to know the fiancé you don't deserve." Francis felt more and more protective of his sweet youngest son as each moment passed, hoping this would be a dream and Matthew wasn't really about to cry. It rarely happened, but when he was that sad, he managed to make everybody around him sad as well.

"If you'll excuse me, Mr. Bonnefoy, I will do no such thing. I refuse to be engaged to that weak, simpering fool. He is not worth my time or my attention." Ivan replied coldly before leaving the mansion. Francis shifted his gaze to where his son's eyes were filled with tears threatening to fall.

"Matthew…" Francis trailed off, walking closer to him. When he got to be a couple of feet away from him, Matthew turned and ran outside, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Matthew stopped running when he got to the large area he devoted to the sunflowers he grew himself. He found out Ivan loved sunflowers and wanted to surprise him with them. He hid in the middle of them so if anybody started looking, they wouldn't see him. He curled in a ball and sobbed into his knees, the words Ivan said played over and over in his mind.

* * *

Francis retreated back to his study where he found Arthur sitting in his favorite sofa by the unlit fireplace. "You saw everything, didn't you?" He asked, sitting next to his husband and wrapping an arm around him.

"Didn't see most of it, but I heard every word. Then I saw Matthew running outside and hiding in the sunflowers he grew for that monster of a human. I can't believe it had to be the Braginski family. This entire situation is bloody ridiculous." Arthur grew angrier and angrier at the Russian that was meant to be his son-in-law.

Francis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I can understand him not wanting to be in an arranged marriage, but he didn't have to be so brutal with Matthew. I could see Matthew's heart break when he said those words; he was hoping so much that the rumors wouldn't be true."

"He's a spoiled child. He doesn't understand that this is his family's last chance, since their surrogate family died out with his grandparents."

* * *

Matthew stayed in the middle of the sunflowers, crying as quietly as he could until he heard his dog sniffing towards him. Kumajirou whined when he found his owner and pawed at his shoes. He looked back at the way he came and whined again. Matthew sighed and stood up before stretching his sore arms and legs. He was shocked to find he didn't notice it getting dark outside. He found his way out of the sunflowers carefully, without crushing any of the flowers.

"Why are you so careful with those bloody flowers after what he said to you? You have every right to just smash all of them." His father's voice startled him out of his focus on inspecting the flowers for damage.

"I know it isn't likely, but maybe he'll decide to be nice to me soon."

* * *

Ello. Sorry about any unnecessary wait, I've just had some stress from work overflow into the rest of the week. That and I have a bad habit of coming up with more story ideas than I have time to actually write right now. I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

Warning: I'm not going to be able to update until possibly the 20th.

Song of the Chapter: Rag and Bone by The White Stripes


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"There is no changing the situation, no matter how much you wish there was. You have to marry Michael Bonnefoy; there are no other options, since you completely refused Natalia's advances." Alexander Braginski told his only son over the phone. The head of the family was pacing in his study in Russia, trying to let out some of the nervous energy talking to his son brought him.

Ivan was also pacing but his movements were much more aggressive and angry. He was in the lobby of an airport in Canada, increasingly upset that his father wouldn't make it possible for him to fly back home. "Father, that…boy is spineless and weak. I don't understand how it would help the family. He's practically nonexistent; I didn't even know there were two Bonnefoy sons."

"Ivan, you will stop this foolish nonsense now. Believe me; if the surrogate family hadn't died out, this wouldn't be happening. Now, you will leave the airport and go to the Bonnefoy estate. Then you will apologize for your immature behavior. Lastly, you will get out the ring your mother put in your suitcase and properly and formally propose to Marcellus." Alexander's voice grew more forceful and firm as he gained the confidence to stand up to his intimidating son.

"His name is Matthew, Father." Ivan replied before hanging up on him. He grunted and pulled the handle out of his suitcase so he could pull it on the wheels. After pausing to fix his long coat and scarf he angrily walked outside to the line of taxi cabs and walked up to one.

"Where to, sir?" The driver asked, unlocking the doors so Ivan could get in behind the driver's seat.

"The Bonnefoy estate." Ivan replied coldly, not bothering to put on his seatbelt. The taxi pulled away from the curb and started speeding down the street dangerously. "Excuse me, would you mind slowing down?" Ivan asked, attempting to sound more composed and less angry.

"Sorry, what was that?" The driver asked, turning around slightly, not paying attention to the road. Ivan started inwardly panicking as the car neared a busy intersection.

"Turn around!" He shouted at the man, the color draining from his face and his Russian accent becoming more prominent.

When Ivan would tell this story to his children and future spouse, he would remember the next moments happening in almost slow motion.

The driver turned around and slammed the brakes, resulting in the car stopping in the middle of the intersection. He turned back to assess the condition of his passenger just when a large truck crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle.

The last thing the Russian felt before blacking out was the shattered glass of the window hitting his face, neck, and hands.

* * *

Matthew had decided to take a shower after his time spent with the sunflowers. It wasn't long before the cold set in and he noticed the numbness of his hands and feet. The hot water of the shower was slow to warm him up and chase away the numbness, turning his skin bright pink and then red.

While in the shower, his mind would drift to thoughts of Ivan, mostly before he started insulting him. Matthew was incredibly flustered and surprised when he walked into the sitting room, seeing the attractive Russian for the first time up close. Despite what Arthur told him, he clung to the belief that Ivan would be nice to him soon.

After his shower, he curled up on the couch in the sitting area of his rooms in his pajamas. He was holding a mug of hot chocolate and his favorite book, A Clockwork Orange, ready for his habit of reading before bed. Kuma curled up at his feet and closed his eyes, ready for sleep.

* * *

The taxi driver got off better than Ivan did, being able to call the emergency line along with multiple people that witnessed the accident. He spent the time before the ambulance arrived trying to figure out what condition his unconscious passenger was in. They removed the two people from the taxi and sent them to the hospital. The driver had only a few cuts and bruises and had to stay overnight, but Ivan would have to stay much longer.

After the doctors treated all of Ivan's injuries and the nurses had him in one of the thin hospital gowns, it was time to alert the Russian's next of kin. Since the driver never found out his name, they had to call the Bonnefoy estate and hope somebody there knew who the Russian was.

"Hello, this is the Bonnefoy estate; may I ask who is calling?" The head of staff answered the phone in the kitchen with the practiced phrase.

"Yes, thank you. This is Doctor Simon Andrews at the Saint Martin Hospital; can I speak to the head of the house?" Doctor Andrews asked him, sitting down tiredly at his desk.

"Yes, just a moment." The doctor recognized the familiar tune that played for somebody who was on hold.

* * *

The head of staff walked quickly up to Master Francis's study after putting the doctor on hold. He knew that Francis was still in there, trying to come up with ways to terminate the engagement he regretted ever putting in place.

Francis let him in and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "Yes, what is it, Sebastian?" He asked impatiently, wanting to get back to thinking.

"There is a call for you on the first line, from the Saint Martin hospital." Sebastian informed his master.

"Thank you, I'll take it in here." Sebastian bowed and left the study, closing the door behind him and going back to his duties. Francis picked up the phone on his desk and hit the Line One button.

"Is this the head of the Bonnefoy estate?" The doctor asked him, expecting it to be the worker that answered the phone first.

"Yes, this is Francis Bonnefoy, how may I help you?" He asked as he sat down in the large desk chair.

"There was a car accident today including a large truck and a taxi cab that was driving to your estate. We don't know the passenger's name, but he has medium length light blonde hair and is very tall. He was wearing a long scarf and beige coat. Do you know of anyone by that description?" The doctor told him of the situation, making the Frenchman's eyes go wide. He was sure Ivan would be on the plane back home, ready to forget this ever happened.

"Yes, I do. His name is Ivan Braginski, he was visiting today." Francis replied, running a hand through his hair again and thinking of whether he should tell Matthew or not.

"Thank you, Mr. Bonnefoy. You can visit him any time tomorrow, since it is a Saturday. Goodbye." The doctor hung up the phone. Francis followed his example and stood up, deciding to tell his son.

Matthew was just starting the second chapter of the book when Kuma stood up and barked at the door. "Come in." He called in the direction of the door, knowing Kuma only did that when somebody was at his door. He was surprised it was his Papa; he had been expecting it to be one of the servants asking if he needed anything else before he went to bed. "Papa, you hardly ever come to my room this late."

"I know, but this is important. Earlier today Ivan was in a taxi coming here. He was in an accident and is in the hospital." Francis sat down on the other end of the couch.

"What?! Is he okay?" Matthew asked, his voice rising to almost the volume of other people's regular voice.

"I don't know, I didn't ask." He answered, not completely understanding why Matthew was so worried. "Why do you ask? He was terrible to you."

"He still might be nice to me, you never know. I can still hope for it." Matthew blushed heavily and looked down at his hands.

"Well, you might be able to visit him tomorrow." The statement made Matthew look up at his Papa and smile, already looking forward to seeing the Russian. "Get to bed, Matthew. It's getting late." Francis stood up and ruffled his son's hair before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Matthew did as Francis told him and got into bed, taking his glasses off and pulling the blanket up in one motion. "I really hope he's okay, Kuma." He whispered before drifting into a fitful sleep, full of nightmares from worrying about the Russian.

* * *

I'm back! I think this is the longest chapter so far. But yeah, I'm back from my trip to Disney World (Florida), that was filled with stress and angry Australian men. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Oh Yeah! I have recently gotten into shipping Sweden x Finland 3

Something has made me curious, where are you readers from? PM or Review with your answer if you want, it's your choice. I'm just curious.

Song of the Chapter: You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) by The White Stripes


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Matthew gave up on sleeping after two hours of nightmares. Despite how the Russian man treated him, his condition in the hospital still worried Matthew more than he thought it would. He got up from his bed and sat down on the couch, picking up the book he was reading and turning on a lamp. Kuma whined and sat down next to his owner, closer to him than he would have normally. Matthew absentmindedly stroked the fur on top of Kuma's head and neck as well as scratching behind his ears, thinking about convincing the driver to take him to the hospital to visit Ivan the next day.

He was caught off guard when he heard somebody knock on the door, signaling that it was 9:00 in the morning, when breakfast was served everyday to the family. Except Alfred, who preferred to sleep in as late as possible. Matthew opened the door, revealing Francis, rather than the usual servant that came to get him.

"Breakfast is ready, Mattie." Francis told him, leaning on the door frame. The nickname caught him off guard, Francis hasn't called him that since he was ten, but it made him feel better.

"Thanks for telling me, papa, but I'm not hungry." Matthew replied quietly, attempting to close the door, even though Francis's foot was in the way.

"No, Matthew. I know you barely slept last night and you need to eat something before you try to convince our driver to take you to see him."

"H-How d-did you-"

"It's obvious, Matthew. If you eat a good breakfast I'll take you there myself." Matthew sighed and nodded, getting his hoodie from the back of his desk chair and put it on, following his dad to the kitchen, where they ate breakfast at the smaller table.

"Morning, Matthew. I heard you're going to visit that bloody wanker at the hospital." Arthur greeted from where he was already sitting at the table. Matthew blushed lightly and nodded, sitting down next to him and across from Francis.

"Don't say rude things about him. He might choose to be nice to me." Matthew replied quietly, getting a good sized stack of pancakes and drowning them in maple syrup.

"Doubt it." Arthur muttered under his breath before eating the small stack of burnt toast he made, resulting in the horror of his husband, who thought the Brit shouldn't be making anybody food, much less himself.

"Arthur, stop. It is Matthew's choice to do this, and I doubt there is much we can do about it."

"That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. This entire situation is just cruel. Matthew is too nice and quiet for anybody from the Braginski family." Arthur retorted, getting angry at Francis and almost ignoring Matthew, who just stared down at the now empty plate.

"I'm going to get dressed now." Matthew said suddenly and quietly, standing up and handing his dishes to the maid that was working in the kitchen. He went back up to his room and picked out a pair of light blue jeans that were a little skinny on him and a t-shirt with the cartoon of a polar bear, he then put on his hoodie, which was red with a white maple leaf on it.

Kuma came up and licked his hands, whining a little. He never liked when Matthew went places without him. Matthew bent down and giggled when Kuma began licking his chin and cheeks. "Kuma, I'm just going to go check on Ivan. That's what a good almost fiancé would do. That and I'm really worried about him." Kuma licked his cheek once more and then jumped up on Matthew's bed, curling up and falling asleep. Matthew giggled and went back downstairs, where Francis was waiting by the door.

"I promised I would take you to see Ivan." He said, not looking upset but not particularly happy either.

"One second, I just need to get something." Matthew ran outside to the sunflowers and picked a few, making sure they were in the best condition to give to Ivan. "Alright, I'm ready." His dad looked at him oddly for the sunflowers, but shrugged and led him out to his personal car. "Thanks for taking me papa. I really appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it, Mattie. I just want to make this up to you in some way."

"Why would you need to make something up to me?" Matthew was confused because of what Francis said. He didn't do anything to suggest that he would have to do that.

He pulled into a parking spot near the front entrance and shut off the car. "I'm the one that sent that proposal letter. I did it because it was my stupid responsibility to make sure you didn't live your life without anybody. It was my fault that Ivan came early, not knowing what was going on; my fault he lashed out at you and made you so upset. It is my fault that you are stuck with this cruel man and there is nothing I can do about it." By the time he stopped talking, he was almost crying into his hands, leaning on the steering wheel. Matthew, in all his life, had never seen his dad cry, no matter what happened he always kept his head in the worst situations.

"Papa, it's alright. You did what you had to do, and you couldn't have known what he would have said to me. It's okay, completely." Matthew took his seatbelt off and hugged his dad, even though he was getting his shirt a little wet on the shoulder. "I think you should go back home. I have plenty of money for a cab and lunch if I get hungry." Francis nodded and started the car back up as Matthew got out.

"Call me if you need me." He told his son as he pulled out of the parking spot and then the lot. Matthew walked inside and up to the front desk, where a lady was typing swiftly on the computer in front of her.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked Matthew once she saw him in front of her desk.

"Yes, I w-would like to visit I-Ivan B-Braginski, please." He stated shyly, looking down at the floor and blushing.

"Of course, visiting hours have started half an hour ago, at 10:00, and they end at 4:00. Can I please see a form of picture ID, along with your relation to Mr. Braginski?" Matthew nodded and got out his driver's license.

"My name is Matthew Bonnefoy, and he is my fiancé, or well, engaged to be engaged." Matthew blushed harder and she smiled.

"Of course, Mr. Bonnefoy. Here is your name badge, please wear it at all times, and Ivan Braginski is on floor three, room 3.14." She handed him his visitor's badge with his name on it, as well as a barcode. "That barcode will help you get into the ward itself, as well as the cafeteria. Have a nice day."

"Thank you, you too ma'am." Matthew pinned the badge on the front of his hoodie before going to the elevator. It was a quick ride by himself, the closer he got to room 3.14 the more nervous he became. What if Ivan was still mad at him? What if he started to really hate him? He walked up to the entrance of the ward and showed his badge to him, who opened the door from behind the desk. "Excuse me, which way is room 3.14?" He pointed down the right hallway.

"Fourth door on the left." He nodded and went down the hallway, faintly hearing a Russian voice yelling coming from the room, most likely at an orderly or a nurse. The young man holding a bunch of sunflowers smiled slightly and opened the door, letting the nurses out. Ivan looked up at him, surprised to see him.

"I h-heard that you were in t-the hospital, and I w-wanted to see that you were o-okay. I know that s-sunflowers are your f-favorite, and I was g-growing a lot in the b-backyard, so y-you wouldn't h-hate me as much and I l-like sunflowers too." Matthew stuttered violently, blushing bright red and looking at the floor, placing the flowers on the table next to Ivan.

"Do stop stuttering if you can. It makes you sound like a foolish child." Ivan said to him after a moment of him standing there awkwardly.

"I'm s-sorry, I'm just n-nervous being around y-you." He frowned and stood farther away from the young man in the bed.

Ivan sighed and remembered what his father told him to do. "I'm glad you are here." Matthew looked up at him, shocked, smiling. "I would like to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I was merely surprised by the news." He tried to sound as sincere as possible. It looked like the smile Matthew gave would split his face in half.

"It's okay, I w-was surprised t-too, when I found out." Matthew sat down in the chair near the bed after Ivan motioned to it. He then remembered that the Russian has yet to formally start the courting. "Is that all that you want to tell me?" He looked up at him expectantly. Ivan sighed mentally again, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Yes, there is something else. I would like to formally ask for your hand in marriage. I would do something different, but it has been short notice." He shifted uncomfortably and got the ring box from the small pile of personal objects found on his person. He handed the ring to the grinning young man in the chair next to him. Matthew took the ring and opened it, his eyes looking a little tear-filled.

"Yes! I will! I'd love to. I'd hug you right now, but you're hurt." Matthew put on the ring and smiled at him. Ivan withheld the urge to roll his eyes while remembering one thing that his father always told him. 'Keep your fiancé or spouse happy.' He weakly moved one of his arms so that Matthew could hug him. The younger male quickly wrapped his arms around his torso and rested his head on his new fiancé's chest.

In a fleetingly small moment of affection for the smaller boy, he started stroking his hair lightly as he nearly curled up in the bed next to him, thinking that if the rest of his life was like that moment, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Hey! Let me just say how sorry I am for making you guys wait so long for this chapter, which is the longest one so far. I hope you all enjoyed it. School is starting soon for me, so chapters will either be more often or less often than they are now, depending on how much I pay attention in class.

Song of the Chapter: The Denial Twist by the White Stripes


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Ivan had to stay with the Bonnefoy family for two weeks, recovering from the car accident. The opinion of those two weeks depended on who you asked. If you asked Matthew, it was one of the best periods of time in his life, as he was able to spend ample time with his hopefully future beloved. If you asked Ivan, he would have left as soon as he could.

For the first two days it was heavily snowing, forcing everybody to stay inside, even the gardeners. Ivan has the frame of mind to ask that his meals were sent to the guest room he was staying in. To his mild enjoyment, Francis, Arthur, and Alfred all kept away from the occupied room, not wanting to think about the angry and uncomfortable Russian.

The only person brave enough to even knock on Ivan's door was Matthew, looking like nothing could bring him down from the high of spending time with his fiancée. He attempted to persuade Francis and Arthur to let him eat with him in his room, but they wouldn't let him. All of his free time was spent with Ivan, to the Russian's dismay.

"Ivan, I have your breakfast. Papa said I could eat in here with you if you want me to." Matthew smiled, carrying the tray of Ivan's food into the bedroom, setting it down on the table in front of the window. On the tray was a plate of the usual toast and eggs for Ivan, joined by a plate of pancakes that the older man stared at, making Matthew blush bright red. "I was thinking that we could get to know each other better, and since the snow has partially melted, I wanted to show you something in the back field." He sat down at the table and took the plate of pancakes from the tray. Ivan's anger grew the longer that he was in the room, walking closer to the table, resulting in a warm smile from the happy male.

"You obviously weren't thinking. Why do you delude yourself into thinking I would willingly spend time with you?" Ivan snapped at him, causing the smile to slowly fade away. Matthew opened his mouth to respond. "If you didn't notice, that was a rhetorical question, meaning I didn't want to hear an answer in the form of your idiotically quiet voice. Do you really think I want to be nice to you? You are nothing to me but legality. I do not like you, and I never will, much less love you. I am only acting polite to honor my father's instructions to keep you happy, but I can't take being in the same room as you anymore."

Ivan was breathing heavily by the time his small monologue was over, it had aggravated the blisters and bruises on his chest. Matthew continued to stare up at him, not noticing the thin trails of tears staining his flushed cheeks. He stood up, shaking slightly, and removed Ivan's plate from the tray and put his back on it before picking it up.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry. I d-didn't-t know y-you felt th-that way." Matthew mentally scolded himself for his habit of stuttering when he was upset or embarrassed. He quickly walked to the door, nearly tripping over his own feet multiple times. Ivan stared off into space, only snapping out of it when he heard the door slam.

_Father can't find out I fucked up._ He thought, sitting down at the table. His parents were going to be endlessly furious if they found out. Ivan started to eat his breakfast alone, thinking of ways to fix the situation.

Matthew ran past confused and shocked servants, nearly throwing the tray and plate into the sink. He ignored his parents and brother and ran outside, forgetting that he was still in a t-shirt and pair of thin jeans. He quickly ran into the sunflower patch and sat down where he was hidden, curling up in a ball in the snow.

"He's supposed to be nice." He whimpered to himself, new tears overflowing his puffy eyes as he remembered the stories Francis would tell him as a kid, of having a fiancé who was sweet and kind and loved him more than anything. "I just want to be enough to make him happy."

* * *

"Why is Matthew running away from the guest wing?" Francis asked, handing his empty teacup to a passing servant.

"Hell if I bloody know. Ivan must have said something and it made him upset." Arthur shrugged and went back to the newspaper he was reading. His lack of response startled Francis, but he was hardly surprised. Arthur was known for picking favorites in everything he did, and his favorite son was always Alfred.

"Well, you enjoy your paper while I go talk to Ivan." Francis stood and walked slowly to the guest room he previously carefully avoided. The closer he got, the more he heard sounds of crashing and ripping. He opened the door to see Ivan throwing things around and ripping bed sheets in an angry haze.

"I hope you know that those items are not yours. I personally decorated these rooms and you will pay for the damages." His voice startled the Russian out of the haze, resulting in him turning around to face the head of the family. "I want to know what you said to him, and you will tell me." He went straight to the point, tired of Ivan's moodiness in the entire situation.

"I don't see how what I said is any of your business." Ivan sat down on his temporary bed.

"You are in _my_ house, making _my _son cry every day. It is _my_ business that he is stuck with a bratty, spoiled aristocrat like you because nobody notices him. The only thing that isn't my business is the fact that your family let your surrogate birth family dry up, leaving the heirs reliant on marriage." Francis nearly started shouting, and Ivan was letting him do it, taking everything that Francis said to him. "Don't just sit there, what the hell do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Don't be a fool; I don't care about your son in any way. He is just my fiancé, nothing more, and I have no intentions towards making our relationship anything having to do with emotion. The only thing I care about is continuing the Braginski line." Ivan stood and donned his coat. "If you'll excuse me, Matthew gave me the idea to explore the grounds." He walked out of his room, then out of the house.

* * *

Ivan wandered around the grounds for hours before it started to snow again. He decided to head back to the mansion, and on his way there he saw the very large patch of sunflowers.

A warm smile lit his face as he looked at the perfect specimens of his favorite flower. He moved to take a closer look, not hearing the quiet sniffling coming from the patch until he was almost touching one of the flowers. Ivan carefully walked into the patch, not crushing any of the flowers, until he got to the center, seeing something he wasn't expecting.

On the ground was Matthew, curled up in a ball, partially covered by snow, and completely unconscious. His cheeks were still stained by tears and his lips and fingers were blue. He was violently shivering in his sleep. "What are you doing outside without a coat?" Ivan asked, taking his coat off and wrapping him in it before picking him up bridal style.

He carefully carried Matthew inside and up to his room, laying him down in front of the lit fireplace. He grabbed a stack of blankets and a few pillows from the linen closet in his room and tucked him in. When the sleeping man started to stir, he quickly went to the kitchen to make him hot cocoa, trying to avoid the awkward situation upstairs in his temporary room.

* * *

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I've had a ton of homework and fundraising and work work, and I haven't had a chance to write much. But, I have a few things to tell you...

1. You can follow me on Tumblr now if you want, at loveless-muffin-party . tumblr . com, without the spaces. My blog is not completely Ruscan, but it shows many of the pairings I ship.

and lastly, 4. Since updates won't be happening as much, I will be taking requests for one- to three-shot fics, and you can send them to me if you want via review or PM. I will tell you if it is something I can't do or it is a pairing that I don't really ship.

Song of the chapter: Ringdingdong by SHINee


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Matthew stayed unconscious for another full hour, his lips and fingernails no longer blue, and his face was no longer white. Ivan nervously paced in his room, hoping that nobody noticed him carrying the smaller man up to his room. Every so often he would stop pacing and put his hands to Matthew's face and neck, checking his temperature. He gradually warmed up with the aid of the fireplace and multiple blankets that Ivan had pulled off of his bed and wrapped around him like a cocoon.

The Russian man was pacing away from Matthew when he heard a small, quiet series of coughs. He immediately rushed to his side, helping him sit up in his nest of blankets. Matthew tried to stand up when he noticed what room he was in.

"I'm sorry for being a burden." He was cut off by another fit of coughing. "I'll leave now." He stood up and wobbled for a few seconds before starting to fall, but before he hit the floor Ivan caught him and laid him down on the semi-made bed, since the sheets and pillows had been changed while he was outside.

"You aren't feeling well, Matthew. You need to rest." He replied as he took the blankets that were on the floor, re-tucking Matthew in but keeping his arms free. "I'll bring you some hot chocolate or something, just stay here." Ivan half-ruffled, half-stroked his hair, making him smile slightly and blush.

When Ivan made it to the kitchen, he saw an angry Francis and an apathetic Arthur. "What are you doing with Matthew?" Francis asked, blocking his way to the ingredients he needed.

"I am helping him. He fell asleep outside and needs to warm up. If you'll excuse me, I'm trying to make it up to him. He deserves an apology for my actions." Ivan motioned for him to move and he reluctantly moved to Arthur's side.

Ivan meticulously prepared the hot chocolate for Matthew and himself, grabbing a few maple cookies from the cooling rack and placing everything on a tray. Francis fumed as he watched him leave with the food and drinks, going towards his room.

Matthew was messing with the edge of the top blanket when Ivan entered the room. He saw the cups and plate of his favorite cookies and grew nervous. "You didn't have to do all of that, I'll be fine." He told him, blushing bright red and avoiding eye contact.

"No you won't. You aren't feeling well; I can see it on your face. The best things for you to do right now are rest and eat something." Ivan handed him the hot chocolate and cookies before pulling up a chair so he could sit next to him.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this trouble. I know it won't benefit you to have a spouse that is weak and stupid." Matthew continued to stare down at the cookies and hot chocolate, holding back tears at the memory of what Ivan said to him that morning.

"I had no right to say any of those things. I realize that I am not who you expected or hoped for, and you are not what I expected, but I am going to try to be nicer to you." Ivan replied, looking down at the hardwood floor.

Matthew sniffled and attempted to hide a minute smile behind taking a drink of hot chocolate, but Ivan still noticed. "Thank you, Ivan. I know you don't like me, but I really appreciate you trying to be nicer to me." Matthew looked up to see a slightly pink tinge in the larger man's cheeks.

Ivan cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair, noticeably uncomfortable at the display of emotion. "I saw the sunflowers. They are growing quite beautifully. I didn't know you spent so much time on them." He commented awkwardly, taking off his thin jacket but leaving on his scarf.

"I asked Kiku and Ludwig if they knew anything you liked. They both said vodka and sunflowers, and since I couldn't really get you alcohol I decided to grow some sunflowers. I only knew things about you from Ludwig, Feliciano, Kiku, and my brother, and by what they said I wouldn't be exactly what you wanted. I just thought they would make you happy, or at least not as angry." He looked back away from Ivan and finished the cookies.

"Thank you. It is a very nice gesture that I hope I can someday return." He gripped the mug hard, but not quite hard enough for it to crack

"You don't have to. I just didn't want to be refused… again." The last sentence was spoken so quietly Ivan thought he merely imagined it.

"No, I should, to truly apologize for what I have done. You said this morning that we could walk the grounds together, and I think we should once you feel better. We can use it as a way to get to know each other." Matthew looked up at him and smiled.

"I'd really like that. I hope I get better soon. Oh my gosh! I didn't know it was that late!" He exclaimed when the wall clock caught his eye. "I should probably get back to my bedroom now." He started to move the layers of blankets out of the way so he could stand up. Ivan was quick to push him back into the pillows.

"Don't worry about that; I know your rooms are quite a distance away and you're sick. I'll just sleep on the couch." Matthew blushed at the idea of spending the night with somebody who is meant to be his fiancé and snuggled into the blankets. Ivan grabbed a spare pillow and blanket from the closet and set up a bed on the couch. The smaller of the two sat up from his place on the bed just in time for him to see Ivan taking his shirt off to get more comfortable, and he saw everything.

He saw the cuts that were healing from the car accident. He saw brutal scars that ran down rippling muscle that made him blush. However, all he noticed was how much more peaceful he looked when he was tired.

* * *

"Ivan? Ivan, please wake up." Matthew's voice cut through the layers of sleep, waking him up to see his nervous and frightened face from where he was leaning over the back of the couch.

"Mattvey? What are you doing awake?" He asked, the lingering tiredness making his accent much thicker.

"There's a loud storm outside." He answered simply, not wanting Ivan to think he was weak again.

"Are you afraid of storms?" He asked, sitting up slightly. The smaller man blushed and nodded, messing with the hem of his shirt. Ivan sighed and moved the blanket out of the way, allowing Matthew to lay down with him. Matthew blushed harder at his lack of shirt while lying down, trying to touch Ivan as little as possible.

Ivan wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist and pulled him closer, tucking his head under his chin. He ran his hands up and down Matthew's back a few times to comfort him while he was having a mental breakdown. Matthew wanted to object and say that the position was inappropriate, but he was overwhelmed. Not only was Ivan accepting affection, he was initiating it! Matthew smiled and snuggled closer, falling asleep to the beat of his fiancé's heart.

* * *

Hey guess what! I'm sick. I feel like shit and I look even worse so I hope this chapter isn't that bad. I wanted some fluff and didn't feel like reading any so I wrote a bit instead

I want to say that I love you guys, all of my readers, because without you this story would have been pushed to the edge of my mind and never updated or developed like it is now. So from the bottom of my heart, *puts on a hazmat suit so you guys won't get sick and gives you all a giant hug*

Song of the chapter- Brutal Love by Green Day


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